Doughnut cutter



W. A. VAN CAMPEN Sept. 16, 1952 2 SHEET 7 DOUGHNUT CUTTER Filed- Oct.20, 1949 a flu V W w A m. W

Sgpf. 16, 1952 w. A. VAN CAMPEN DOUGHNUT CUTTER Filed Oct. 20, 1949doughnuts;

Patented Sept. 16, 1952 'Wztiter Anerewvwn Gampem- Chicagm i ias--signer to=VaL1i Camp Donufisystem, 1310. ,0111

cago, 111., a-corpomtion of Illinois.-

present invention relates to at doughnut cutter, andmoreparticuiarlytozan improvedforiir of dongh-r ut cutter m which a; veri-abie predete1mined amount of batter is extruded through a; dispensingorificeftofflfiomr' different sizes of 'The imiaroved doughniit' cutterof the present invention provides an improy'ed} inexpensive, ex'

- tremely' simple and readiiy empioyledfmeans' for extrudingdouehnntibetterfof desired cdnfifguria tije' nfd sizei Tbenrpioj thedoughnut cutter; it' is -or'r1y -1j1ecessar'y thetthe device ibe h'eidover a? container of hot-grease orf the like-and that an operatin rodbe'i'eciprocated withinithe device dispense the preformed better: lvieensare provided for adjusting the length of stroke of the m; which Y batteris extruded throu ha Waived QM 'I HP ev mi fii. e back Plate operatingrod so that the cutter will dispense various sizes ofdoughnutsfthroughthe same orifiee -and fromti'ie same body of better;

l general; the -cutter of the present? invention includes "a. generallycylindrical; open-ended cas ing having a reduceddispensingorifice ateneend thereofand-e reci procel dispensing rod extending axially of thecasing, the rod carrying at 'one end a viavlve -fcr controlling; thedispensing carrying a valve at'one extremrty for controlling anextrusion orifice and means intermediatethe length of -th e-rod'--f6r'eXerti-ng' pressure on a body of better throu h Vlhi'ch the rodextends}; and meanscorrelating thefexertion of pressure onft-he batterand; theopeni' I V A v veiVe-is epened'be'fore -pressure"'i;s-exerted onthe batter and sothet the pressure exerting means remains" in ontact'with the batter upon" recipro orifice. "The cithenendOfthe dispensingrodcarries means for determiningf he" size of the doughnutto bedisiiensed from he casingiwhiie' the-1 6d} intermediate itsleng'tfipiis" SlidfliblY'IG- ceived byebrai-cket carrying *aflbacki ngor -pressure-"plate fer cont acting afbodivf ofbeqtter witlfiin ilig'rod; the oriflce valv'efisalternately opened and -clo'sed -te allowbetter to be ejectedtherefio 'n' underpressure ca-used by' movement of;the heck:

ing' piatei against the body- Of bette r; Means-are; provided? torcorrelating the ri iov'ement Of the backin'g pl'ate and crme-dispensing. 'vaive so that; the valve" is 'epenedbefore pressure is'ap-- plied to the body 'of -batter; to'preservethejde: sired-contourofdoughnuts "dispensed through theorifice andf also tGi-nsure the easyoperability crime-"device. Means are also provided" for'pree' ventinglost mot-i'o'n duringflreciprocaiti onof the tainediinfeonstant contentwith the-may oft tevwit -n the casing; diirin'g" both openingj-amf,

closingrnovenientofthe Valves" r It -'-therefore; animp'or axitobjectof'the" (jther'e'rid f ur'ther importanfi'objects and feeturgesofthis invenon will befippetrentfrom the:

diselost resin the speci cation and the accom= panyi'r-ig'drawin'gs:

1 the drawifi s z" "Figure 1'1 an} eivatinnaii" prsbectiv'- iewof:

a; dodghn'ut' eutterof -theprsen mention; 7

Figure 2% is a, verticelj-se'ctione vi, with parts shownelevation, ofthfe"de',vi,c in Figure 1';

- Figure isa fsectiona'l viewfltakerr aiongithe pleneILT-IHofjfi'g'urei2;,' 1 V N Figure-4 is a"fragmentarysectionaiview; withparts shown iri'elevaltion, similar :toFig'urej2',"i 1 mstmtingone phaseofioperation of the device; Fig'il'i'ii a/yieW similarto-Figuref iillustrate inga-a later phase-tn the dperatiqlffdf the devine f;

Figure 6 is a s ptidn; 1 j-vieyw fidken ial orig the I F-igure lprefere'"c e numeral reefers merztiIy-"to a donghmit" cutter of the presentinvention including a generally cylindrical openended' casing Hadaptedtojreceive a. bodyof ba-tter'B and-ha ving'itsupp'er endi l2terminat presentnvention to prdvid e. enfi rrriiroiled dough 9' J nutcutterfof sirnpie eeon m ceizqesign an ine? 7 --mg5 radially outwardlyextending lip I 3 formed "by a: sheet metal strip lapped 'about-r anannular: rod 14', ttie lip, extending downwardly Within the up er endlofcasing ll asait I15 The ther end for the Openendjof casing terminates ina; casin head [6 secured thereto o-f thevalve-so that the and includingan upstanding marginal flange encircling the lower open end of casing aradially inwardly and downwardly sloping frustoconical head wall l8, anda lower generally cylindrical nozzle portion IS. A spider 20, ofgenerally circular outer contour, is secured within the casing head IEto underlie the casing H, the spider being segmentally apertured as at aand carrying a central, depending boss 2| axially apertured as at 22.

A reciprocal dispensing rod 23 is provided to extend axially of thecasing II, the rod carrying at its lower extremity a valve 25 threadedthereon and adapted to close a lower annular dispensing orifice 26defined by the cylindrical nozzle 7 portion |9. It should be noted thatthe valve .25

is provided with a frusto-conical outer seatin face 21 for seatinengagement'with the truste conical terminal end surface of the nozzleportion l9 defining the orifice 26-. The rod 23 is guided for:reciprocatory movement by the boss 2| rece'iv'ing the-rod xtendingth'rough the axial apertur"e,22; 'The rod is thus guided at a" pointclosely spaced fromthe dispersing orifice 26; "The uppr end of the valverod 23 extends upwardlyj'bey'onditheicasing II. and terminates in ahorizontally disposed elongated arm 21, extendmgfmdiany r' the casing Hand having a dependent end portion'28 provided with exterior threads,receiving a knurled-knob 29 threaded thereon; The interiorlythreadedknob 29 can be moved axially along'theend portion 28 of the rod23for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described Therocl '23sli-dably receives, intermediate its terminal ends, a backing plate 30having an outer diameter slightly lessthan the'inner diameter of theleasing-1|, the plate-30 being centrally aperturd, as at3|,-to slidablyreceivethe rod 23. .-A generally .upwardlyextending bracket 32 securedto the backing plate 3|) by suitable means, asiby ri'vets 34, passingthrough a lower bracket arm 33 in fflu'sh surface contact'with the uppersurface of the plate 30; The lowerbracket arm 33 is also apertured asat'35 for-registry with the aperture -3-|. to receive the rod 23therethrough. The? upwardly 1 extending central arm of the bracket 32 isprovided with a generally rectangular vertically extending slot 36-forapurpose to be hereinafter more fully described; 'Ihebracket 32 has aniipp i' hmfizontally extending'arm 31 generally Parana-re; the lowerleg'33 andaperturedas at 38 to also slidably receive the rod 23; Aseparate bracketleg 39 iss ecured to the bracket 32 by suitablemeans,;as by soldering or weld- 111g 43, and extendsradially-outwardlyfromthe bracket. and the ree s. The bracket; slot '35: re ceivs arod.arm 4 l fapertured as at, 2,;- to receive meroaz'a the rod arrn 4|extending throughthe aperture 36 I to" underlie the bracket leg 39; "I-hat end of the rod arma'r opposite the aperture :42, N

is apertured as at 43 tq-receive the lower terminal end'of a coiledtension spring44 havingrits other end extending throughan aperture -45for med in the corresponding endbf thebracket leg-39;;

The aperture 42 is of slightly. greaterdiameter than the rod 23, thes'p'ri'ng' 44Lserving :to urge thatend of the rod" arm Z4|,--to which itis attached u'pwardly,t h u's ,cantin'g thelarm 4| so that the edges'ofthe aperture 42 are urged into surface engagementwith the exterior,surfaces of the rod 23. Itv/illbe seen that the rod 23is's1idablyreceived by the registering apertures3l; 33 and 38 of the backing plate33 and lower and'u per bracket arms {3 3' and 7, respectively, Inasmuchas the backing plate 3|! is of approximately the same outer diameter asthe inner diameter of the casing II, the backing plate 30 and the spiderboss 2| serve to guide the rod 23 in a substantially vertical path whenthe casing I is held in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawings.

The operation of the device of the present inventionis as follows:

The elongated horizontal arm 21 and the guiding contact between thatportion of the rod 23 adjacent the valve 27 and the guiding boss 2|insure accurate reciprocation of the handle along the axis of the casingH and the accurate movement of the valve 21 to open and close theorifice 2B.

, As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that upon depressionof the rod 23, the knob 29 will be brought into contact with the upperlip |3 of casing The casing thus limits the movement of the rod 23 andit is evident that thedistance through which the rodimay be moved isreadily" determinable by thepositioning of the knob 29 upo'n thedependent arm 28 of the rod. Thus, to vary-the distancethrough whichthevalve 25 is opened and the amount of batter' B extruded through theorifice 26, it is only necessary to threadedly adjust the position ofthe knob 29 with respect to the rod 23. q

, It will also be seen that-upon depressing movee ment of the rod 23,the-rod'wih be capable of relative movement-with respect to the bracket'32 slidably receiving the rod, However, the spring 44 urges the outerendfof the rod arm 4| upwardly to cause grippingengagement-between theedges of the rodarm aperture 42and the rod23. The rod, when depressed,thus carries with it the rod arm 4| through the length :of the slot 3G.-a This movementof the rod serves to open the valve 25 a predetermineddistance, namely, a distance equal tothe' depth of the slot 35,.prior toany movement of the backing plate30i Y.

After the arm 4| is bottorned in the slot 361 fur'therimovement of therod 23- causes a corresponcling movement of the backing plate 30 and theextension of pressure upon the body of batter B disposed-within thecasing I. The backing plate .30, following the bottoming of the arm 4|within the groove"36,'-is thus moved downwardly theconfigurationshown'irrFigure 4.

ln'Figure 5, the devicev I 0 is depicted as the rod 23 is being movedupwardly for the" next dispensing stroke. It'will be seen that upontheupward movement of; the 'rod, the arm 4| travelsv with the rodthrougha distance equal-torthe depth of the slot -36-until the arm 4| restsagainst the'upperextremity of the lot. At this time-further movementofthe rod upwardly tilts the arm 4| to the dottedposition 41a releasingthe rod from its gripping engagement with-the arm 4 the tension spring44 accommodatingthistilting movement of the arm 4|. The rod 23 isthus,being moved to its dotted position 23a at the height'of thisdispensingstroke to clos'e the valve Ladnane without causing anymovement whatsoever of the backing platea3d from'fthe dispensing positionishown .inl igure vjlsnw 7 "1mm thus be seen that theresilientltension spring dd togetheriwith thea tured rodarm 4i, preventsthe opening of'theval-ve45 priorto the exertion of pressure :upon theplatefldnand also permits upward movement. of the rod 12:3; to begin'thenext dependingv stroke 'Withoutfmovementgof the. backing. plate53302361 0111 contact; with thezbatter-Bn It will aisohexappreciatedthat the spring 44 is extended upon the dispensing downward stroke ofthe rod in the position shown in Figure 4 to maintain the arm 44 intilted position relative to the rod 23. V j

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be varied through a widerange without departing from the principlesof this invention, andit is, therefore, not the purpose to limit thepatent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. An apparatus for extruding doughnuts comprising a casing having anopening'at one end and adapted to receive a quantity of batter, a valvefor closing said opening at said one end of said casing, a rod foreffecting movement of said valve, a backing plate movable Within saidcasing for exerting pressure on said batter and 6; relatirdto;said'rlate to: open -said. ,valvenisi a commodatedhy s, 'd sl. r.hermovement of; said rod.nausing a;norresnondine movemen "from saidcasing valve;

if, p l

7, ar atius f0 9 l, Q xtrudin doughnufisrcome pri ing a casin ha.ingianiopening: at onerend f adaptedtoreceivea quantity of bat Varodextendingthroughpaid .12 Jactuating:.=said=valve,uacmovable back- 7.lidably,carriedabyisaidirod for-exerting p s ure on said t batter,v atbracket carried by said ackine :plateax'a; roid tarmislidably receivingsaid rod, and resilient means carried by said bracket for accommodatingmovement of said rod relative to said plate for a predetermineddistance, the rod arm contacting said bracket following said movementthrough said distance to cause a corresponding movement of said backingplate upon further movement of the said rod.

5. An apparatus for extruding doughnuts comprising a casing having anopening in one end thereof and adapted to, receive a quantity of batter,a valve controlling said opening in said one end of said casing, a valveactuating rod, 2.

slidably receiving said rod, a bracket carried by said plate andslidably receivingsaid rod,jmeans slidably carried by said bracket andsaid rod for grippingly engaging said rod upon movement of the same toopen said valve, and a lost-motion linkage between said last-mentionedmeans and. said bracket for accommodating movement of said rod to opensaid valve a predetermined distance before causing movement of'saidplate to exert pressure upon said batter.

2. An apparatus for extruding doughnuts comprising acasing having anopening at one end and adapted to receive a quantity of batter, a

valve rod'extending axially from the casing and movable therein, a valvecarriedby said rod for closing said opening at said one end of saidcasing, abacking plate slidably receiving said rod intermediateitslength, a bracket secured to said plate and slidably receiving said rod,a lost-motion rod arm connected to said bracket and said rod, andresilient means interposed between said bracket and said arm for causingcontrolled movement of said plate with said rod for a portion of thedistance of movement of. said rod while accommodating initial limitedrelative movement therebetween to open said valveprior to movement ofsaid plate.

backing member vfor exerting pressure on the batter, and meansaccommodating closing of said 'valve without effecting movement of saidpressure exerting means, said last mentioned means including a rod armcarried by said backing. 7 member and slidably receiving said rod, andresilient means normally urging said arm into gripping engagement withsaid rod and accommodating tilting movement of said arm from its normalapertured to slidably receive said rod, resilient 3. An apparatus forextruding doughnuts com-V prising a casing having an opening in one endthereof and adapted to receive a quantity of batter, a valve closingsaid opening at said one end of said casing, a rod extending throughtheimovement of said rodj'a rod arm slidably receiving said rod andextending through said aperture, and resilient means carried by saidbracket for urging said rod arm into gripping engagement with said rodupon movement of means tilting said rod arm into gripping engagementwith said rod, and means carried by said backing plate for accommodatingmovement of said rod and said rod arm through a predetermined distanceto open said valve without causing movement of said backing plate andthe exertion of pressure upon said batter.

' 7. In an apparatus for extruding doughnuts including a casing havingan opening in on end 7 thereof and adapted to receive a quantity ofbatter, a valve for closing said opening in said one end of the casing,a rod extending through the casing for actuating the valve and a movablebacking plate carried by the rod for exerting pressure on the batter,means correlating movement of said valve and said backing platecomprising a rod arm slidably receiving the rod and tiltable intogripping engagement with said rod during movement of the rod to opensaid valve, and means carried by said backing plate for vcausingmovement of said rod arm from gripping engagement with said rod uponreturn movement of the rod from its position at which said valve is opento permit closing movement of the valve "without effecting movement ofthe backing plate.

8. An, apparatus for extruding batter, comgum-59o prising a casing forcontaining batter andflhavlng arr-opening therein, a-valveforcontrolling said opening, a. rod for effecting movement of sa'ld I VREFEIiENCE CITVED The following references file of this patent;

are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. 7

' Date 4. Name Grassi Nov; 22, 1921 Petzelt Feb. 28, 1939 1 CottinghamFeb. 25, 1947 Jones May 9,1950

